99 Red Balloons
by Raggedy Doctor
Summary: Songfic, Jack contemplates the stargate program and the people that have been lost, his command, and his team


Disclaimer: I don't own 99 Red Balloons or Stargate SG1

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"Well… congratulations Jack," Daniel said with a big grin. Jack smiled and nodded clapping Daniel on the shoulder, "Yeah, see ya Danny, Carter, Teal'c," He nodded. He closed the door. His team the last to go… his team… they were still his, even if he didn't go out with them anymore… even if he wasn't going to be back at the SGC. The house was filled with crate paper and balloons. He yawned. He saw a red balloon floating in front of him and grabbed it bemusedly, softly humming.

_You and I in a little toyshop_

_Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got_

Jack headed up to the telescope still holding the balloon. Walking up the stairs, he remembered Daniel's happy look tonight. It had been a long time since he had seen one. On Abydos… with Shau're he was happy. Holding her hand. Kissing her softly. Not to mention the kiss she gave him, whoa.

_Set them free at the break of dawn_

_Til one by one, they were gone_

That is until Apophis came… no… he shouldn't think about that.

He sat down on the folding chair staring up at the night sky and spotted the small star. It wasn't very bright, or beautiful, but sailing around it was a planet; Abydos. That meant home to Daniel… and to himself as well… like Charlie did. He remembered Charlie's amazement of helium balloons. He wondered what Skaara and the rest of the kids would have thought… they would have loved it… even if they had grown up… had been able to grow up.

_Back at base bugs in the software_

_Flash the message, something's out there_

_Floating in the summer sky_

_99 red balloons go by_

Sometimes he wondered… wondered if it was the fate of Abydos was just that: fate. If it hadn't been Anubis, it would have been Earth. He remembered thinking he had really made no difference when they couldn't open a gate to Abydos. The thought about how, in the beginning, he didn't want the kids, Shau're, Kasuf, and Daniel to be killed while they were living in peace. Now where were they? Daniel was gone… 'Ascended' maybe not even that anymore since he had broken the goddamned rules. Shar'ue was dead and… and all the kids were gone as well. Never to grow up, have kids of their own. God, Skaara was planning to get married… and now he never would.

The gate opened for a moment hope… but… still… the children… no… men of Abydos were lost to them now… ascended… higher beings…

_99 red balloons_

_Floating in the summer sky_

_Panic bells it's red alert_

_There's something here from somewhere else_

_The war machine springs to life_

_Opens up one eager eye_

_Focusing it on the sky as 99 red balloons go by_

He wondered what would have happened if the stargate never opened. If Daniel never figured it out… or better yet, never got involved. There was probably an alternate reality like that. No Goa'uld to worry about, just life on Earth, blissfully ignorant of what's out there for a few hundred years. No Motherships flying perilously close to earth. No asteroids or horrible disease brought through the gate.

_99 Decision street_

_99 ministers meet_

_To worry, worry, super scurry_

_Call the troops out in a hurry_

_This is what we've waited for_

_This is it boys, this is war_

_The president is on the line_

_As 99 red balloons go by_

He remembered Daniel describing the look on his face when they told him he was a General. Dumbfounded. Surprised. There was that… but he was fearful too. He was a General now. He was in charge of all his people now. It was on him. All of it. They looked to him for hope. At least he had Carter, and Daniel, and Teal'c… they would help him, but… he had to protect them too. He had to decide if they should go or stay… die or live in some situations. Could he do that? Give up his family for Earth. Even if it wouldn't be worth living on Earth without those three beside him? They had already lost Janet.

_99 knights of the air_

_Ride super high tech jet fighters_

_Everyone's a super hero _

_Everyone's a Captain Kirk_

_With orders to identify_

_To clarify, and classify_

_Scramble in the summer sky_

_99 red balloons go by_

He couldn't even be with them now. Homeland security… sure, great honour, but it was a desk job in Washington. He wasn't protecting anything. He was sending some men and women off to death, others off to glory. Science geeks that reminded him of Daniel, Daniel before they went off on their little adventure through the gate, wide eyed and naiveté, well, some of them wouldn't make it either. The Stargate brought danger.

_99 dreams I have had _

_In every one a red balloon_

_It's all over and I'm standing pretty_

and yet, the Stargate was a wonderful thing… he had seen things no man had ever had… truly gone to where no man had gone before. Found things more beautiful than he could ever really describe… found things that just plain scared the crap out of him. He had become a better person because of the Stargate… he had met Daniel, that had become his best friend, that had helped him deal with his guilt. He had met Carter, that showed him even a scientist could be as tough as nails, that, just because she was a woman didn't mean she compromised anything. Teal'c that had given up family and friends to help them, who had become his warrior brother, who helped him protect those he loved.

_In this dust that was a city_

_If I could find a souvenir_

They were done. No more danger for them. That's what he decided. Carter would go work in Area 51 so she could be a scientist. Teal'c would become a politician… even now that thought made him chuckle lightly, he had the right poker face for it anyway. Daniel… Daniel would go and be an archaeologist again, discover things again, no more warrior scholar, no more sacrifice of morals, and people, and places. He could keep that innocence that he was starting to lose.

_Just to prove the world was here_

He would remember those gone.

The men and women sent on missions never to come back

The Tollan… even if they were jerks sometimes

Reese… even if she was a robot

Janet

Abydos

Dry'auc

Skaara

Shau're

Charlie

He let go of the balloon.

_And here is a red balloon_

_I think of you, and let it go_


End file.
